Mapping the Design journey

Today, Panasonic USA revealed a new line of compact Lumix cameras – DMC-FX66, DMC-FT2, DMC-ZS5, DMC-ZS7 and DMC-ZR3. The DMC-FT2 is called the TS2 in North America. These new cameras feature the new Venus Engine VI and Venus Engine HD II. The Venus Engines supposedly perform quicker and allow for greater noise reduction.

See features of the cameras below:

Lumix ZS7 – This camera comes with a built in GPS feature. It is a 12.1 Megapixel camera and has a 25mm Wide angle Leica lens and a powerful 12 x zoom (you can operate it in the video mode too). Panasonic USA lists other features of the camera: “The LUMIX ZS7 is also the worlds smallest photo/video hybrid superzoom digital camera which can also record High Definition (HD) video using the recording capability in AVCHD Lite, which includes a dedicated video record button and new to the ZS-Series is a manual shooting mode.” The camera also features other options like face recognition, scene selector, AF tracking, ISO control etc. TheZS5 appears to be similar to the ZS7 but has a smaller display and doesn’t have the GPS feature to it.

DMC-FT2 or TS2 – This camera is Waterproof upto 33 feet, Shockproof and Freezeproof. Isn’t that awesome? 🙂 It has the ability to record high definition video. It is a 14.1 Megapixel camera and offers video recording in the AVCHD Lite format. It has a F3.3-5.9 28-128mm (4.6x) lens. It is waterproof to 33 feet, shockproof to 10 feet, freezeproof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit and dustproof. The battery can take upto 360 images when fully charged. And it is compatible with the SDXC Cards.

DMC-FX66 – This is also a 14.1 Megapixel camera and F2.8-5.9 25-125mm (5x zoom) lens with Power O.I.S lens-shift stabilization. It also offers HD Video capture ability but doesn’t offer the AVCHD Lite like the DMC-FT2. It is a 2.7 inch display and weighs about 5.11 ounces (with battery).

DMC-ZR3 – This is a compact camera that also offer AVCHD Lite video recording option. It has a 25mm wide angle lens and an 8x zoom. Like the other two cameras this small camera (small enough to fit in your purse or wallet) is 14.1 Megapixels. It is has similar features to the TS2 but a different zoom and lens. It has also offers the options of Face Recognition, Happy mode, AF tracking, ISO Control and Exposure.

“The nicest thing about the future is that it starts tomorrow” – unknown. Yes, the future does start tomorrow with the launch of Apple’s new tablet. Speculations have started all over the net as to what this new tablet would look like, where would it be available, what would it feature etc.

Apple is great at creating a hype and delivering upto peoples’ expectations. Apple revolutionized the design of computers and made them more than just generic boxes where you could browse the internet. No matter where you are an Apple product makes a statement. When iPods came out the world of music changed, iPhones changed mobile interactivity. Now comes the turn of the Apple tablet. We wonder what will that bring?

Social media experts are citing their opinions everywhere. And if you Google “Apple Tablet” that alone generates 16,300,000 results in 0.14 seconds. Isn’t that crazy? But then again it’s Apple, it’s a celebrity in the tech world and when it launches a product there has to be this craziness. Businessweek reported today that, “Apple CEO Steve Jobs said yesterday that the company will introduce “a major new product that we’re really excited about.” The company is holding the event tomorrow in San Francisco. Steve Dowling, a spokesman for Cupertino, California-based Apple, declined to discuss unannounced products, saying the company doesn’t comment on rumors and speculation. Apple rose $5.33, or 2.7 percent, to $203.08 yesterday on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Amazon.com dropped $1.12 to $120.31.”

‘Apple’s new product’ (The Tablet) is going to be the major competitor for Amazon’s Kindle. News is already out that companies like Hearst Corp., McGraw-Hill Cos. and Hachette Book Group will be featuring their books and other content on Apple’s Tablet. Now the question is, is there a place for Kindle in Apple’s world? Will the Tablet revolutionize the tech world like it’s predecessors the iPhone, iPod and Mac?

I guess we will find out the answer to that tomorrow. We can’t wait for the launch of this new product. Tomorrow seems to be a day of ‘change’ – with Obama addressing the world on Youtube and Apple launching it’s new product the day should be full of excitement.

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Sun Zaccur is a Designer, Brand strategist and Tech Blogger. She has experience of working as the Editor-in-chief for Amvona.com and is the Boston Technology Examiner for Examiner.com. This Blog provides an insight into Sun's work.